How we get stuck acting like a Deflated Doer

By Unstuck

Into all our lives a little tedium must fall, but when we’re in a Deflated Doer moment, that tedium (dread, boredom, restlessness — name your poison) outweighs our motivation in unwelcome proportion. We feel sad or annoyed and angry. We stop giving it our all, and start looking around for something better. We’re disgruntled, discouraged, and dismayed. Heavy sigh.

What we’re not doing is seeing the whole picture. It’s like our vision is laser-focused on what’s wrong, wrong, wrong. And that takes up the energy we have to turn it around. It may help to know that you’re not the only one (16% of stuck moments come up as Deflated Doer in the Unstuck app), but commiseration doesn’t change things.

The remedy is to look at your situation differently. Unstuck’s “Shake Up Your Routine” tool helps you think about what you want to stop, start, and continue doing. In addition, you could try one or more of these 5 quick(ish) ways to gain new perspective. But if you’re deep in the weeds, considering your purpose might be more helpful.

Whatever approach you choose, it’s best to get started when you’re feeling most energized, either in the morning or at night.

When your motivation is missing
Find out what’s blocking you and what will get you going again with our Spark Your Motivation Life Course — a deep dive into knowing you better. Learn more>